Going back to the office? Absolutely not!
About the new normal in the workplace
Due to the declining number of COVID-19 cases, companies in Germany have no longer been required to offer their employees the option of working from home since July 1. The whole country is gradually shifting back to normal due to the loosening of pandemic-related restrictions. But what exactly will this “new normal” in the workplace look like?
Lately, I’ve been hearing the phrase “going back to the office” more often from my peers — and, frankly, I’m confused. After working from home for the past 15 months, I don’t believe it’s the best way to return to normal. On the one hand, these 15 months were challenging. No doubt about it. But at the same time, we were also given many opportunities — both professionally and privately. The other day, I asked you about it in a survey: Will the (physical) office experience make a comeback? What will lure us out of the comfort of our homes and back into the office? The results say that 47 percent of you want to interact with colleagues face-to-face, while 23 percent do not want to return to the office. Another 19 percent associate the comeback of the office with a clearer work-life balance, and 10 percent report they could be more productive in the office. In total, 201 votes were cast, and I would like to thank you for your support!
According to the results, there are no clear factors that are in favor of the office. Working from home has shown us new ways of communicating with our coworkers virtually, but still personally. Some employees could create a much better work-life balance because working from home had freed up more time that they would have otherwise used for commuting. Other employees, especially those living alone, started to get cabin fever because they had mostly interacted with their coworkers via video calls.
So, how can we create a new, modern working model that takes these individualized needs into account?
diconium’s Hybrid Workplace
A few months ago, we at diconium asked ourselves how we want to work together in the future. We will not have a general “going back to the office”. We reached that unanimous decision quickly. Unlike other companies, we do not want to force our employees to return to the office or continue to work from home. Instead, we see ourselves as a big family of talents that each have their own place — whether at home or one of our 13 locations. We want to accommodate everyone because it doesn’t matter where our digital champions are working from.
That’s why we also asked our coworkers where and how they would like to work at diconium in the future. Our survey revealed that the majority (97 percent) would like flexibility in deciding where to work. Our coworkers do not necessarily prefer their desks at home: On average, our employees would like to work two days a week in the office. The main motivation mentioned in my survey was socializing with coworkers.
As a result, we developed a Hybrid Workplace concept with them. While other employers ask how they can motivate their employees to return to the office, we turned the question around: How can we as diconium meet the needs of our employees and offer them a satisfactory work environment?
The resulting hybrid model is characterized by four core aspects:
· Flexibility
· Trust
· The office as a place to meet
· Digital workplace
That is how we offer various work models that meet the desired location and time of all employees. Studies have shown that the best ideas arise from face-to-face meetings. We have completely redesigned our offices for collaboration, creating significantly more meeting places than individual offices: There are spaces for creative exchange and meeting with coworkers as well as quiet spaces where employees can fully concentrate. Those who prefer to retreat to their own home offices are also welcomed to do so. Just as each person sees fit. It goes without saying that we as a digital agency offer a fully digitalized workplace.
Our employees will NOT be required to come into the office in the future, but they MAY and even WANT to do so willingly. After all, nothing would be a bigger compliment for an employer.
Working sustainably for the company, employees, and environment
Our Hybrid Workplace combines the advantages of working from the office with working from home and forms the basis for an effective, modern, and ultimately, ideal work environment. We are taking a holistic approach with many advantages: If everyone can work in the way that suits them best, coworkers will not only be more satisfied, but they will also deliver better work results. Because, at this point, we can say that 2020 was diconium’s most successful year — despite the challenges of COVID-19.
In the Hybrid Workplace, work-life balance is achieved with little effort. For example, if a personal appointment is coming up or the children need to be looked after, then this can be organized flexibly and independently in the Hybrid Workplace. We are very much aware that 2020 was demanding for the parents among our employees, particularly due to homeschooling and daycare closures.
Our Hybrid Workplace also contributes to climate protection. Less commuting reduces the amount of CO2 emissions. On top of that, we will introduce a mobility allowance, which will give our employees credits that they can use for car-sharing or rides on e-scooters, buses, or trains.
Entrepreneurs should question their decision!
I know that many companies still don’t know what work model they would like to offer their employees. A piece of advice: always question your decision and ask your employees: What is important to you? What do you need to work happily? Yes, it’s a time-consuming and exhausting process, but it’s worth it. Although the pandemic has kept us socially distanced, it has revealed what each coworker needs to do good work for the best results for everyone.
By the way: If you’re interested in joining diconium, please take a look at our careers page. We’re currently offering developers, strategists, UX designers, and many other professionals an exciting work environment with an innovative spirit.
